Newcomb will be without Josh Saltlamacchia until the closing rounds of the Bellarine season after suffering a knee injury in last week’s win over Surf Coast.
The dynamic forward has ruptured his medial collateral ligament and partially torn his anterior cruciate ligament, and is facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines.
“It was pretty innocuous; he just went up in a contest and copped some contact and came to ground,” Power coach Tony Mirabella said.
“He didn’t make too much of a fuss about it, and then you could just see him hobble off.
“He went back out on the ground, and I think the moment that he went back out on the ground and tried to change direction, he knew it was pretty serious.”
Mirabella is hopeful Saltalamacchia will be part of the club’s push for a first finals berth in 19 years.
“Knowing Josh, he’s going to do everything he can to get back as quickly as he can,” Mirabella said.
“But, it’s going to be a fairly long stint out of the game.
“Hopefully, similar to Oliver Poulson, we see him at the end of the season pop up when the time’s right.”
The absence of Saltlamacchia is one of two changes for the clash with Portarlington at Portarlington Recreation Reserve.
Thewin Robertson is unavailable, with former Ocean Grove player Bryn D’Arcy and Lara recruit Riley Hull to debut as Newcomb prepares for a month of football that Mirabella admits is the club’s most important since the 2007 finals series.
“It’s been a great start to the season, but it won’t mean anything to us inside our four walls unless over the next five games, we come out the other side on top of the ledger,” he said.
“I think we have to, at the very minimum, go three and two, to show everyone that we’re the real deal in a sense and that we haven’t just had a great start to the season similar to last year and then drop off like we did in 2025.”
Off-season recruit Michael Herlihy will play his first game for Portarlington.
Herlihy, who also holds an assistant coaching role at the Demons, joined the club after two years as coach of Swan Hill.
Also making their debut for Port is under-18 graduate Marli Tancredi
Harry Sedgeman has been cleared to play after returning from Hurstbridge, and Blaide Dowie has been promoted for his first match of the season.
They replace injured pair Nick Lane (hamstring) and Riley Hayden (knee), with Eamon Dowd and Sam McDonald omitted.
Geelong Amateur will welcome back gun midfielder Jessie Tardio and Geelong VFL forward Charley Green for its meeting with grand final conqueror Anglesea at Ellimatta Reserve.
Green has spent the past month with the Cats, playing four games and kicking seven goals, while Tardio missed the Round 7 win over Torquay.
The Roos have included Brodie Cambridge, Declan Everett and former co-captain James Carr.
They replace Jack Walters, Jai Anderson, and Seb Kent.
Drysdale has rushed in mid-season recruit Mitch Lindsey for its meeting with Torquay at McCartney Oval.
Lindsey joined the Hawks from St Mary’s earlier this month and impressed in the ruck for the club’s reserves last week.
The Hawks will also welcome back WAFL great Jye Bolton for his second appearance of the season, while Ricky Reid returns from injury.
They replace the experienced Lauchie Dalgleish (injury) and Sam Willatts, who will be tied up with coaching commitments at Talent League club Calder Cannons.
Teenage sensation Ollie Castro’s five-goal performance on debut in last week’s win over Modewarre was enough for a call-up to Talent League club Western Jets.
Local product Lewis Diamond will debut for Torquay. The son of former Tiger Scott, he is one of four inclusions for the clash.
After debuting last week, Charlie Montebello has returned to Geelong Falcons duty along with Van Rahilly.
Surf Coast has been strengthened by the inclusion of seven players as it prepares to host Barwon Heads for the first time at Summertime Pools Oval.
Mitch Hovey, Ross Young, Tyler Flanigan, Ted Walliss, Tom Stephen, Tim Lee and Eddie Weeks all return.
Levi Williams (head knock) is the only forced out for the Suns, with six players omitted.
The Seagulls get back Kallum Hinchcliffe, James Syddall, Harry Hyland and Ben O’Sullivan, replacing Sam Christensen (ACL), Lachie Blacket (Geelong Falcons), Luca Vella (unavailable), and Xav Whitcher.
Modewarre has included Scott Morter, Damon Hemphill and Jack Kelly for the clash with Queenscliff at Mt Moriac Recreation Reserve.
However, experienced defender Matt Farrelly will be sidelined.
The Coutas have made four changes.
Billy Jones, Lachie Kidd, Archie Gladman and Jordy McIvor-Clark replace Max Scott (hamstring), Isaac McCabe (Achilles), Marshall Rippon (general soreness) and Jake Lindrea (unavailable).
Ocean Grove has the bye.
More to come
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